The Red Sox’ 2025 season rests upon a 23-year-old left-handed pitcher with just four big league starts on his resume.
Connelly Early will start the win-or-go-home Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
“He reminds me a lot of [rookie] Roman [Anthony],” Jarren Duran said. “They’re so calm, cool and collected. And it’s awesome to see that. I can’t wait to see him get on the mound tomorrow and see that big smile he always has when he’s competing.”
Just over two months ago, Early was pitching at Double-A Portland. He made his Triple-A debut Aug. 2 and his major league debut Sept. 9 in Sacramento against the Athletics. He never imagined being in this spot.
“But I’m in that position now, so got to go out there and trust myself,” Early said.
Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins played in the majors for 19 seasons and never had the opportunity to pitch in a postseason game. Early’s first playoff start comes 24 days into his big league career.
According to OptaSTATS, Early will become the first pitcher to start a winner-take-all postseason game within 30 days of his major league debut.
“Super fortunate to be in this spot and really happy that the Red Sox trust me with the ball out there,” Early said.
Early has given up just five earned runs in 19 ⅓ innings (2.33 ERA) over his four starts. He has struck out 36.7% of the 79 batters he has faced.
“He’s been poised throughout,” manager Alex Cora said. “Very calm.”
Early will start opposite Yankees 24-year-old rookie Cam Schlittler, New York’s seventh-round pick in 2022 out of Northeastern University.
“Obviously it is going to be loud here. Two rookies, Game 3, Wild Card, Yankees-Red Sox. Imagine that. Should be a fun night,” Cora said.
Pitching coach Andrew Bailey told Early he was starting Game 3 soon after Game 2 ended.
“Let’s go,” Early said. “Let’s do it.”
Early tied a Red Sox franchise record by striking out 11 batters in his first career game.
“The pitchability is beyond his years,” Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet said. “It’s really good plus stuff. Five pitches for strikes and the swing-and-miss component. I think that he’ll be a huge bolster to the staff here in the postseason.”
Early has a 33.9% whiff percentage and 36.7% chase percentage while limiting hitters to an 87.9 mph average exit velocity.
“I knew that I had the stuff to belong [as a rookie], and that’s kind of what I see in Early,” Crochet said. “When Early came up, it was a sense of comfortability in who he was. Not in a boisterous way where he’s being loud in the clubhouse, but just more so in that he knows who he is.”
Boston drafted Early in the fifth round in 2023 out of Virginia.
“Early’s been amazing,” Garrett Whitlock said. “Really proud of the stuff that he’s done so far this year. Love watching him play, and really excited to see him.”
Kyle Harrison said Early’s fastball plays so well in part because he has above-average secondary pitches.
“I think he’s honestly got some more vert on his fastball than me,” Harrison said. “His breaking stuff’s unbelievable. His changeup’s great. So it’s like, all we need to be able to do is spot that heater up in the zone, spot one down. Just mix it up.”
Story by Christopher Smith, MassLive.com.